Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VCLT vs XBI: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VCLT returned −5.9% to XBI's +41.2%, and VCLT charges 0.03% to XBI's 0.35%.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about VCLT and XBI
Net assets: $7.5bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF, and $10.3bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF.
Pair scorecard
VCLT costs 0.32 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 47.1 points; XBI is 1.4 times larger.
| Measure | VCLT | XBI |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −5.9% | +41.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 17.8%, high on Sep 22, 2021 | |
| Below its all-time high | 8.9%, high on Feb 8, 2021 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Bloomberg U.S. 10+ Year Corporate Bond Index | Biotech |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.35% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $7.5bn | $10.4bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 98% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 13% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 18% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VCLT and XBI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VCLT and XBI on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VCLT
VCLT tracks an index of Long-Term Corporate Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −5.9% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 17.8% below its high of Sep 22, 2021 on Oct 28, 2026.
XBI
By weight, 13% of XBI's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 98%. The top ten holdings are 18% of the fund across 165 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned +41.2% with distributions reinvested. It sits 8.9% below its all-time high of Feb 8, 2021.
Questions people ask
- Are VCLT and XBI in the same category?
- VCLT is a bond ETF and XBI is a thematic ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, VCLT or XBI?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VCLT returned −5.9% and XBI +41.2%.
- Which is cheaper, VCLT or XBI?
- VCLT is cheaper, by 0.32 percentage points a year. That is about $32 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, VCLT against XBI, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vclt-vs-xbi
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VCLT against XBI. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vclt-vs-xbi
[VCLT against XBI (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vclt-vs-xbi)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.